Washing machine



July 8, 1930. w. H. KLEINHAMMER WASHING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 29, 1925 IN VENTOB W/l/iam H. /1 le/nhammer Patented July 8, 1930' UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. KLEINHAI'MER, 01 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

WASHING .MACHINE Application filed September 29, 1925, Serial No. 59,280. Renewed November 11, 1929.

The invention relates to improvements in washing machines adapted to be used to wash clothes in stationary laundry trays, and refers particularly to improvements in the impeller and impeller driving mechanism. An

object of, the invention is to provide a washing machine in which the impeller may be easily disconnected from the driving mechanism.

Another'object of the invention is to provide a washing machine for use in connection with a laundry tray in which the driving bar for the impeller, which is located in the tray, may be readil removed to facilitate the removal of laun ry from the tray.

Another object of the invention is to provide a washing machine in which the impel.- ler maybe disconnected from the driving ioechanism without removal of the driving ar. v

Another object of the invention is to provide a portable washing machine in which a thrust bearing is provided for the impeller. A further object of the invention is to provide a portable washing machine having the above objects and which is easily and quickly assembled and disassembled.

The invention possesses other advantage- 0 ous features, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth at length in the following description, where I shall outline in full that form of the invention which I have selected for illustration in the drawings ac- I companying'and forming part of the present specification. In said drawings I have shown one form of washing machine embodying the improvements of my invention, but it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to such 40 form, since the invention, as set forth in the claims, may be embodied in a plurality of forms. 7,

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation of the impeller and associated driving means which form the subject of my invention, parts of the hollow arm being broken away to reduce the size of the figure, and parts of the impeller being shown in section. i Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of part of the hollow arm showing the latch for holding the driving bar in upper position.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on the plane as indicated by the section line 33 of Figure 1.

The improvements of my invention relate to washing machines of the type described in the application of Frank B. Morehouse and Frank Haase, 'Ser. No. 667,635, filed Oct. 10, 1923. The washing machine therein described is of the portable type which is adapted to be removably attached to stationary laundry trays of the well-known kind. The washing machine is equipped with an impeller for placement in one of the trays to agitate the water and laundry therein. A driving bar extends vertically down through the impeller from a hollow arm containing the driving mechanism. The hollow arm 1 overhangs the laundry tray from its point of attachment to one of the side walls thereof, and the driving mechanism it contains usually comprises a reciprocating rack driven by an electric motor for rotating the driving bar alternately in opposite directions. It is sometimes desirable infthe operation of this type of machine to disconnect the impeller from the driving mechanism while the driving mechanism is in motion. This has heretofore been accomplished by withdrawing the driving bar vertically from the impeller and from the hollow arm. To connect the impeller with the driving mechanism again, it was necessary to reinsert the driving bar through the hollow arm and into the impeller. This was not an easy operation, particularly if the impeller wasout of sight beneath a tray full of laundry and especially if its position had been slightly altered from that at the time'of withdrawal of the driving bar. Also, in the previous type of machine, the driving bar extended through the impeller and rested on the bottom wall of the laundry tray. The central supporting boss of the impeller, surrounding the driving bar, 95 also rested on the bottom wall of the laundry tray and the rotation of the impeller and of I the driving bar tended to wear a depression in the bottom wall of the laundry tray.

To overcome the difliculties mentioned we above, I have provided a drivin .bar which need not be entirely withdrawn rom the impeller in order to disconnect the impeller rom the driving means and in additlon I have provided a resting plate or bearing plate to be positioned under the impeller and under the driving bar to prevent them from coming into rotational contact with the bottom wall of the laundry tray.

In the embodiment of my improvement shown herein, the hollow arm 2 extending from the point of support of the washing machine on the laundry trays forms a housing for a driving gear '3, shown in dottedlines. The driving gear is suitably journaled in the hollow armand is driven by appropriate means such as the rack bar 4 which is reciprocated by an electric motor and intermediate ge'aring, not shown. The driving gear is provided with a non-circular central bore, preferably of rectangular section, for receiving the square portion of a driving bar 6. The driving bar preferably comprises an upper square portion 5 for engagement with the driving gear, a central cylindrical portion 7 of a diameter equal to or less than the side of the square portion, and alower square portion 10 of the same cross section as the upper square portion. A circumferential groove 8 is provided at the junction of the central cylindrical portion 7 and the upper square portion 5.

An impeller 9 having impeller blades 11 is mounted on the lower end of the driving bar by means of a square central aperture, allowing for axial movement of the bar with respect to the impeller, but positive rotation of the impeller withthe driving bar. The.

lower end of the central aperture'in the impeller enlarges into a peripheral groove 12 of circular cross section, which is narrowed by means of the shoulder 13 into a smaller circular passage.

Means are provided for preventing the impeller from bearing on the lower wall of the laundry tray and for keeping the driving bar positioned somewhat above the bottom of the known kind, is seated in the groove 14 in the resting plate and is of such size and tension that it may readily be inserted through the constricted passage formed by the shoulder 13, but will expand in the recess 12 after passage through the aperture formed by the shoulder 13 ard will bear on the upper surface of the shoulder.

Inasmuch as the driving bar has a sliding fit in the impeller, and in the driving gear 3, it may easily be shifted in an axial direction.

The shifting is usually accomplished by pivoted to the boss 19 by means of the pin 21, and is provided with a notch 23 of generally semi-circular contour.

- IVith the mechanism as shown in the drawings, the continuous rotation in alternate directions-of the driving gear 3 will produce a corresponding movement of the driving bar 6, which in turn will impart its motion to the impeller 11. In order to disconnect the impeller from the driving gear 3, it is necessary merely to lift or axially displace the driving bar until the upper square portion is withdrawn from engagement with the gear 3 and the cylindrical portion 7 is lifted into the gear. The driving gear 3 may then rotate about the cylindrical. portion 7 without imparting its motion to the driving bar. If it is desired to retain the driving bar in its upper, disengaged position, the latch 22 is moved from its position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 to its position shown in dotted lines in the same figure. In the dotted line position, the semi-circular notch 23 of the latch engages the groove 8 in thedriv'ing bar and retains the driving bar in position. The driving bar is preferably proportioned so that when the reduced cylindricalportion 7 is centered in the drivinggear 3, the lower end of the driving bar will still be in engagement with the impeller, and will therefore facilitatethe return of the driving bar to its lower position.

The detachable resting plate 17 is preferablyof suflicient area so that the friction between the bearing disc and the lower wall 18 of the laundry tray will insure the resting plate remaining stationary despite the motion of the impeller. Also, the spring ring 16 is of such tension, that the hub 19 may easily be inserted into the aperture 12 at the bottom of the impeller, and will be retained there with sufficient firmness to prevent accidental dislodgmentof the resting plate, but will permit the resting plate to be easily withdrawn when it is desired to do so. It will be noted that in addition to providing a stationary thrust bearing for the impeller, the hub of the resting plate also acts as a stop for the driving bar, when the driving bar is in its lower or. engaged position.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing .the driving gear, and that I have also provided a stationary bearing for the lower end of the driving bar and for the impeller, by means of which the impeller and driving bar are prevented from wearin depressions in the bottom wall of the laun ry tray.

I claim: 1. In a washing machine, a housing, an impeller, a continuously operating driving gear mounted in said housing and provided with a non-circular aperture therethrough, an axially shiftable driving shaft having a non-circular portion and a reduced cylin-.. drical portion threaded through. said gear, said non-circular portion engaging the gear in one position of the shaft, and said cylindrical portion permitting relative rotation between the gear and said shaft in a second position of the shaft, and a latch pivoted on said housing and adapted to engage a reduced portion on said reduced cylindrical portion to retain the shaft in said second position.

2. In a washing machine, a housing, a driving ear in said housing, an axially shiftable driving shaft having a square portion en aging a square aperture in said ear, said s aft also having a circumferentia groove, a rethe upper end of said aperture, a bearing plate for stationary bearing on said bottom, and a hub integral with said plate adapted to be received by either end of said aperture and ti sfetrve as a thrust bearing for said driving s a 6. In a washing machine including a receptacle having a stationar bottom, a drive shaft, an impeller engage with said drive shaft, and a separate bearing device-engaged with said impeller, said bearing device normally resting ceptacle to be lifted.

7. In a washing machine including a receptacle having a stationary bottom, a drive shaft, an impeller engaged with said drive shaft, and abearing device normally resting upon the bottom of the receptacle to serve as a thrustbearing for the impeller, said bearing device being engaged with said impeller to be lifted when the impeller is lifted and to be removable therefrom.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand. i j

-- WILLIAM H. KLEINHAMMER.

duced cylindrical portion on said sh'aft adapted to disengage said gear when saidshaft is axially shifted, an impeller'mou'nted on said shaft, and a latch pivoted to said housing and adapted to engage said groove to retain said shaft in axially shifted disengaged position.

'3. In a washing machine, a moving peller provided withan axial aperture, an inwardly extending shoulder at the lower end of said aperture, a bearing plate, a hub integral therewith andadapted to extend into said aperture, said hub being provided with a peripheral groove, and a spring) ring seated in said groove and adapted to ear against said shoulder for retaining the hub in the aperture.

4. In a washing machine, an impeller, a

' continuouslyoperating gear having a noncircular aperture therethru; an axially-shift.- able, non-circular driving shaft threaded thru said non-circular aperture and secured at its lower end to said impeller said shaft being upon the bottom of the relifted when the impeller is provided with a cylindrical portion of reduced diameter adapted in one. position of said shaft to register with the aperture in said gear to ermit relative rotation of said gear and sha t; and means for retaining said shaft in said one position.

5. A washing machine having a stationary bottom, a moving impeller adjacent said bot-' tom rovided with an axial aperture extending t erethru, a driving shaft extending into 

